The Book Show interviews Isabelle Alende as well as Jeff VanderMeer as the latter talks about Steampunk. |MP3|
You can subscribe to the podcast at this feed: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/feeds/bsw.xml
Posted by Charles Tan
Month: April 2008
Andre Norton’s Star Born gets reviewed….
It ain’t our review (conflict of interest and all) but check out this, the first review of Star Born on Audible.com by a long-time audiobook listener…
“4/5 Stars
Reviewer: Michael, from Kannapolis , NC, USA Date: April 05, 2008This is classic Norton in top form. The narration is well done and read. Norton authored some of the best sci fi of the era. Ranking up there with Robert Heinlein, Asimov, EE Doc Smith other great masters of sci fi. Star Born was a favorite for me growing up I must have read it 1000 times and the audio listen really brought the book to life for me. You wont regret this addition to your library! The Time Series is probably nortons top work altho its hard to find any Norton work thats ever been close to bad.”
Posted by Jesse Willis
MORE Blake’s 7 Audio Adventures coming (starting June 2008)
I am pleased to be able to report that B7 Productions has just announced a series of prequel audio adventures to follow up on their SFFaudio Essential Blake’s 7 – Audio Adventures! From the press release:
MICHAEL KEATING (Blake’s 7, EastEnders) will reprise his most popular role as the cowardly thief, Vila Restal, the only character to appear in all 52 episodes of the original series. The new audio incarnation of Olag Gan played by OWEN AARONOVITCH (Coronation Street) also stars. BLAKE’S 7 – THE EARLY YEARS will be a prequel series of stories exploring the origins of key BLAKE’S 7 characters prior to them meeting rebel leader, Roj Blake. The first of these prequel stories “When Vila met Gan” has been written by lead writer, Ben Aaronovitch (‘Classic’ Doctor Who, Jupiter Moon) and explores the history and enduring friendship between Gan and Vila, two of the most unlikely rebels to take up arms against the Federation. Future episodes will feature the characters of Avon (written by Ben Aaronovitch), Jenna (written by Simon Guerrier), Travis (written by James Swallow), Cally (written by Marc Platt) and of course the series wouldn’t be complete without a story exploring the origins of the rebel’s arch nemesis Supreme Commander Servalan who we meet as a young, ambitious, cadet officer with ‘family connections
An ‘extended’ special edition CD (and download) of “When Vila met Gan” will be released for retail on 2 June 2008, with a re-cut version to be broadcast on BBC7 in the summer. Michael Keating says of his return to the role of Vila: “It’s exciting to return to the character of Vila especially in this format and to discover the origins of his friendship with Gan.” Audio Director, Andrew Mark Sewell comments: “Vila was one of the most popular characters of the original series and we’re absolutely delighted to welcome Michael back to a role that contributed in no small part to the show’s enduring popularity.” Sewell adds: “From the moment Michael Keating uttered his first lines it was as if we’d been teleported back thirty years – that’s the beauty of audio and of course the energy and enthusiasm which Michael brings to the role.”
This will make for some cool listening!
Posted by Jesse Willis
Audible’s new imprint: Audible Frontiers
Audible Frontiers is a new imprint (announced today but delivering titles for about two weeks now) from Audible.com. These are Audible.com exclusive titles, produced for audible by audible. Each title in the collection appears to include “Bonus Audio” which is typically a short commentary by the author about the audiobook in question. There are precisely 30 titles available today. Many are series novels, but many are novellas, most have accolades, and nearly all of them are BRAND NEW to audio.
There are plenty of titles in that 30 that I’m looking forward to hearing. We’ll have a full new releases post on them all soon.
Posted by Jesse Willis
New Audio Column – “Orson Scott Card Selects” – First subject – Star Born by Andre Norton
Orson Scott Card Selects is a new feature audio column on Audible.com in which the future Grandmaster of Science Fiction selects “classic sci-fi and fantasy” that he thinks you’ll really like. His first selection is … Wonder Audio’s version of Star Born by Andre Norton! WOOT!
Check the site out HERE. Or have a listen |MP3| to Card talk about why he loves Star Born!
Posted by Jesse Willis
The Silver Key blog: Check out an audio book and listen, or I’ll gut you and feed your innards to the dogs!
Brian Murphy always has something interesting to say on his The Silver Key blog. His thoughtful essays on fantasy, movies and books are always fun to read. Recently he posted a cool rumination on what makes his commute a pleasure. I’m posting it below, and in full, because it’s so awesome. But don’t keep that from you visiting his site for more great posts:
My passion for audio books is overflowing right now. Today on my usual semi-torturous hour-long commute to work (each way) I finished Bernard Cornwell’s The Lords of the North. My God, if that wasn’t the most enjoyable commute I’ve had in years, I don’t know what was.
The Lords of the North and the rest of The Saxon Stories are amazingly entertaining tales on their own. But couple them with an amazing voice-over performance by UK actor Tom Sellwood, and, well, you’ve got yourself a hell of a fun car ride. I happened to glance around on Interstate 95 this morning (tearing myself away from the bloody tale of Danes and Saxons battling for control of 9th century England) to glance at the faces of the commuters around me. Some were pinched and angry, but most simply looked distracted or bored. Given what they were likely listening to–the wasteland that is AM/FM radio–I can’t say I blame them.
To hell with radio. Give me a good audio book any day. While the sap in his gas-guzzling SUV next to me had NPR droning away on the dial, I was listening in on the conversation of Uhtred Ragnarson, true Lord of Bebbanburg, and Danish warlord Ragnar Ragnarsson, as they shouted the joys of “Women and War!” while riding on horseback through Northern England circa 881. While the 20-something chick to my front in her Honda was rotting her brain listening to the vapid Destiny’s Child, I was “seeing” the clash of shield walls, bloodied axes and swords, and screaming men. In my mind’s eye I was watching viking longships under sail in the open sea, the bright light of morning gleaming off shield bosses and helmets, and smelling and hearing great feasting halls flowing with ale and bursting with loud song and the poems of skalds.
And best of all this experience is “free” of charge. Audio books are expensive and the only ones I actually own are The Lord of the Rings (unabridged), as read by Rob Inglis. But you don’t have to spend money: I get my audio books from my public library, which is part of a 10-town consortium from which I’m free to interlibrary loan a large number of audio titles. It’s a great use of my tax dollars and I’ve certainly derived a lot of pleasure these last few years on my drive to work. I only wish I had discovered them sooner.
Posted by Jesse Willis